Intro: China faces prolonged severe weather as multiple tropical storms bring flooding, evacuations and transport disruption across the region.
Hong Kong
China’s coastal and southern regions are bracing for days of intense rainfall as Typhoon Narra moves inland and Typhoon Saudel approaches the eastern seaboard, forcing authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of people and suspend businesses and tourist activities.
Narra made landfall as a tropical storm in the southern island province of Hainan after lingering over the Beibu Gulf for several days. The storm dumped heavy rain across Hainan, Guangxi and Guangdong, pushing rivers above warning levels and flooding low-lying areas.
Narra and Saudel, together with tropical cyclones Gaenari and Atsani, have formed a rare group of four storms simultaneously swirling across the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea, according to China’s Meteorological Administration.
Heavy rainfall is expected to continue across southern China even as communities deal with the effects of recent downpours.
Attention is also turning to Saudel, which is forecast to make landfall along China’s eastern coast between Zhejiang and Fujian provinces between Thursday and Friday. Its outer rain bands could stretch towards Guangxi, potentially adding to rainfall in already affected areas.
Saudel crossed Japan’s Okinawa prefecture early Wednesday, bringing destructive winds and rough seas. Nearly 35,000 homes lost power, while 92 flights serving airports across Okinawa were cancelled. All Nippon Airways also suspended flights to and from Naha Airport.
Taiwanese forecasters said Saudel was tracking north of the island and was expected to weaken gradually, although moderate rainfall could continue in parts of Taiwan through Friday.
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